Locking means for levers



June 13, 1939.

E. BREITLING LOCKING MEANS FOR LEVERS Filed June 13, 1935 Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCKING DIEANS FOR LEVERS Application June 13, 1935, Serial No. 26,370 In Germany June 21, 1934 5 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in locking means for mode of operation levers for cash registers and accounting machines, and is shown as applied to a mode of operation lever like that shown in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 2,116,779, issued to Ernst Breitling on May 10, 1938.

The main object of the invention is to provide a control or mode of operation lever, having its normal or adding, position in the middle, and the subtotal and total position, respectively, in its upper and lower end position, with new and reliable locking arrangements, operable by a removable key. Operation of the lock to locking position prevents movement of the lever out of adding position, but the locking device is so constructed that the lever can be moved into the adding position from either sub-total or total position while the locking device is in looking position. The construction is such that the lever is automatically locked in adding position when moved thereto while the locking device is in looking position.

Further objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following detailed description with reference to the annexed drawing.

A preferred form of an embodiment of the invention is shown in the annexed drawing.

Of said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the mode of operation lever in normal position,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the mode of operation lever in a total taking position.

General description In machines to which the present invention is shown applied, a mode of operation lever is provided for conditioning the machine for adding, subtotal taking, and resetting operations. In the machine illustrated in the above-mentioned patent, this mode of operation lever, when set in its intermediate position, conditions the machine for adding operations. When the mode of operation lever is moved in either direction from its add position, the lever conditions the machine for either sub-total or reset operations.

The present invention provides a novel construction whereby it is necessary to insert a key into a lock to permit the mode of operation lever to be moved out of its "add position and into either of its other positions. However, the mode of operation lever can be returned to the add position without the insertion of a key into the look. In other words, the invention provides a means whereby the mode of operation lever normally is locked in its add position, but never in either of its moved positions.

This novel lock construction is particularly useful in machines to which it is shown applied, since the proprietor does not Want his clerks to have access to the totals in the machine, and therefore the proprietor usually has possession of the keys for unlocking the mode of operation lever for shifting it into total taking positions. After a series of totals are taken, the-v lever can be returned to add position without a key, thus giving the operator access to the add" position at all times.

Detailed description The mode of operation lever 2 is pivoted on a shaft 100 and has a link 98 connected thereto to adjust the machine for add, sub-total, or reset operations in the manner described in the above-mentioned patent. mally in the add position, as shown in Fig. 1. Moving the lever 2 downwardly to the Z position (Fig. 2) conditions the machine for reset" operations, and moving the lever upwardly to the X position conditions the machine for subtotal operations. In order to lock the lever out of the X and Z positions, a lock 9 and I respectively is provided, which are unlocked by inserting a key ll. Each of the locks is provided with a shiftable stem 1 on the lower end of which a pin is arranged.

In order to automatically lock the lever 2 out of both the total taking positions after it has been returned to its add position, and after the key II has been removed out of the lock, the mode of operation lever 2 is provided with a locking member 3 pivotally mounted on a pin I. The member 3 is normally held by a spring 4 in the position as per Fig. 1. The locking member 3 is provided with two lugs 3a the outer surfaces l2 thereof are parallel with the center line through the shaft I00 and stud I, whereas the inner ones 13 are oblique with said center line. The member 3 is mounted at a point where a line perpendicular to the said center line passes through the center of stud 5. The locking pins 5 of both locks 9 and ID are faced by the outer straight surfaces l2 of the locking member 3 thus preventing the mode of operation lever 2 from being moved upward and downward into the total and the subtotal taking positions.

When, for instance a key II is inserted into lock l0, and the stem 1 is pushed downwardly, the pin 5 thereon is caused to obtain the position 5' shown in Fig. 1 and, thereby, to be removed out The lever 2 is norof the path of the one surface l2 of the locking member 3. Due to this, the mode of operation lever 2 can be moved into the total taking position Z (Fig. 2). Should the operator withdraw the key II and forget to restore previously the mode of operation lever 2 to add position, the pin 5 regains under the action of a spring not shown, its normal position and comes now in between the two lugs 3a of the locking member 3 (Fig. 2). Thus, if the operator restores the mode of operation lever 2 to add position with the key I l with drawn, the one of the oblique surfaces l3, i. e., the left hand one in Fig. 2 meets the pin 5, and thereby the member 3 is rocked counter-clockwise until the left lug 3a has passed beneath the pin 5. As soon, however, as the member 3 has left the pin 5, it returns under the action of its spring 4 into its normal position, so that both the locking surfaces l2 are facing the pins 5 thus preventing the mode of operation lever 2 from being moved out of the add position, provided that, again, the key II is inserted and one of the pins 5 is brought into ineffective position.

Due to the symmetric arrangement of the parts, the same relations occur when the mode of operation lever 2 is moved out of the add position into the upper or subtotal taking posi tion.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described, is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the embodiments herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a lever adjustable to a certain position and a plurality of other positions, a member rotatably mounted on the lever, a lock for each adjusted position of the lever coacting with the member to lock the lever in said certain position, means to move each lock, whereby the lever can be moved into a position corresponding to the moved lock, said means being capable of moving the lock into locking position after the lever has been adjusted, cams on the member coacting with the locks whereby the lever is adjustable into said certain position when the locks are in looking position, and means to move the member into locking position when the lever is adjusted into said certain position.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a lever adjustable to an intermediate position, a second position in one direction from the intermediate position, and a third position in the other direction from the intermediate position, locking means at said second and third positions of the lever, a member on the lever, and projections on the member coacting with the locking means, whereby the lever is normally locked out of the second and third positions but adjustable from the second and third positions into the intermediate position.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a lever adjustable from a normal position to a plurality of adjustable positions, locking means at said adjusted positions of the lever, a member on the lever, and projections on the member coacting with the locking means, whereby the member and locking means normally coact to lock the lever out of said adjusted positions, said projections coactmg with the locking neans to move the member out of locking position when the lever is moved from either of the adjusted positions into the normal position, and a spring to return the member into locking position when the lever is moved from an adjusted position into normal position.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a lever movable in either of two directions from an intermediate position; a member pivoted on the lever; two lugs on the member; a key stem located on each side of the lever, each key stem normally contacting one of the lugs to normally maintain the lever locked against movement in either direction from the intermediate position; an insertable key for each key stem to move the key stems out of contact with their associated lugs to release the lever for movement out of the intermediate position, said key stems being thereafter returned into locking positions; a cam edge on each lug coacting with the key stems when the key stems are in locking position to cause the member to by-pass the key stems while the lever is being returned to the intermediate position; and a spring attached to the member to move the member into locking position after the lever is returned to the inter-- mediate position, to again lock the lever the intermediate position.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a lever movable from a normal intermediate position in either direction; a springactuated by-pass pawl pivoted on the lever and movable therewith; a locking element on each side of the pawl normally in contact with, and in the path of movement of, the pawl to lock the lever in the intermediate position; devices to selectively move either locking element out of contact with, and out of the path of, the bypass pawl to release the lever for adjustment out of the intermediate position, said locking elements returnable to their locking positions while the lever is out of the intermediate position; and cam surfaces on the by-pass pawl, each surface coacting with its associated locking element while the lever is being returned into its intermediate position, and while the locking element is in locking position, to cause the pawl to by-pass the locking element and to automatically lock the lever in the intermediate position.

ERNST BREITLING. 

